Danes move to bolster on-job teacher training

An umbrella university of educational theory and teaching will be created in Denmark if proposals to strengthen research and enhance in-service training for teachers and social educators are adopted.

But the political opposition and the educational sector have given the move a lukewarm reception.

The proposals from the ministry of education include combining the Royal Danish School of Educational Studies, the Danish National Institute for Educational Research and the Danish School of Advanced Pedagogy into one unit offering degree and doctoral courses in education and educational theory from cr che to adult education.

In addition, four to six regional centres will provide in-service training as an extramural collaboration between teacher training colleges and training institutes for social educators.

An evaluation of the Royal Danish School by Danish, Swedish and Norwegian experts published last summer recommended changes in its tasks, organisation and location in the education system and the creation of a new educational university.

Criticism included unnecessary competition between the school and teacher training colleges, the need to improve research functions, inefficient graduate training and poor and weak management. One recommendation was to turn it into a faculty of Copenhagen University.